Water Quantity Management Research Articles

Optimization of green infrastructures for sustaining urban stormwater quality and quantity: An integrated resilience evaluation

Coupling natural green infrastructure with artificial gray infrastructure is considered a key solution for mitigating the risk of waterlogging and water quality problems caused by rapid urbanization. However, further research is needed to evaluate and optimize the utility of gray–green system considering multiple key factors. Here, the effects of gray–green system on both the water quality and quantity were investigated based on the Storm Water Management Model-InfoWorks ICM (SWMM-ICM) and bivariate copula functions. A resilience index that integrates reliability, bearing capacity, recovery speed, and recovery capacity was then proposed. Taking a typical catchment area in Beijing as an example, the results showed that the resilience index proposed is effective for evaluating the stormwater management of gray–green system. The integration of gray–green infrastructures improved the resilience of urban stormwater management, particularly in terms of controlling the water quality (improved by 1.0–4.0 %) rather than the water quantity (only 0.04–0.3 %). Direct confluence and average distribution strategies of gray–green system were more effective for water quality management, as resilience ranged from 0.7478 to 0.7605. To mitigate the ever-increasing water risks under climate change, the direct confluence, and average or downstream renovation strategies are hot spots for system renovation in the future. These results contribute to a better understanding of gray–green system and provide the foundation for sustainable water quality and quantity management in global cities.

Accounting for water quality—A framework for agricultural water use

Driven by increasing water demand, scarcity concerns, and climate change impacts, numerous countries prioritize solutions for enhanced water use efficiency. However, these solutions often focus primarily on managing water quantities to improve water productivity in agriculture, urban, and industrial sectors. Effective and sustainable water use, however, requires monitoring and management of both water quantity and quality. Traditionally, water quantity and water quality have been managed separately, often by different government agencies with different missions and limited interaction. Ensuring sufficient water quantity for agriculture and food production often takes precedence over managing water quality. Water accounting, as a tool for allocating and managing water quantity is now widely accepted and numerous examples of successful implementation exist worldwide. However, the concept of incorporating water quality into water accounting has not yet been widely promoted. Measuring both quantity and quality in the same water bodies is a fundamental principle of assessment of impacts on water quality through the determination of loads. The load is the amount of a given substance or pollutant for a given period of time. Using the key steps necessary for the development of a water quality monitoring and assessment programme, a framework has been developed that can be applied to water accounting projects using typical water accounting applications. Two examples of potential applications are used to consider the technical, institutional, and financial requirements. Implementing a framework for incorporating water quality monitoring and assessment into water accounting should contribute substantially to the need for more water quality data at global scale. Such data are required to facilitate achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” through more efficient water resources management and greater awareness of water quality impacts in the agricultural water use sector.

Opportunities for Leveraging Existing Hydrologic and Hydraulic Models Developed for Water Quantity Management to Mitigate Flooding Due to Extreme Precipitation

With a focus on a specific flood-prone community in Camden, NJ, this research utilizes a detailed hydraulic and hydrologic (H&H) model to assesses the impacts of climate change on Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and localized flooding under two different infrastructure scenarios. In the US, the Clean Water Act compels regulated utilities to develop Long-Term Control Plans to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs), but there is no parallel mandate to simultaneously reduce flooding within the associated service areas. With different control measures in place, H&H models are frequently used to evaluate CSO volumes and frequencies under historical climate conditions. However, precipitation intensification and sea level rise (SLR) will also modify CSO volumes. This study uses a calibrated and validated 1D and 2D Personal Computer Stormwater Management Model (PCSWMM) simulation to predict both CSO discharges and flooding under different climate and infrastructure scenarios. A total of ten climate change scenarios comprising a range of plausible climate futures are considered. The infrastructure scenario that is tested would divert stormwater generated in an upstream municipality (Pennsauken, NJ) away from Camden’s combined sewer system. Without the disconnection, increases in precipitation will increase CSOs, whereas SLR primarily increases flooding. The proposed mitigation strategy can immediately reduce both CSOs and flooding, but with diminishing effectiveness over time, as climate change demonstrates the need for supplemental measures. Areas for further analysis regarding alternative mitigation methods and future research are outlined.

Analysis of Sustainable Drainage System in SMA 4 Area, Jayapura City, Papua

Flooding one of the problems that arise during the rainy season. This is very common in areas with tropical climates, where during the dry season it can be very dry and lack of water, but during the rainy season it is abundant with water and at worst a disaster can occur. Runoff and inundation a usually problem in Jayapura City, with hill topography that tends the large, resulting flood and inundation in flat and upstream areas. One the public areas is often affected by runoff or flood and innudation at the SMA 4 area of Jayapura City, where in this area is most important community activity because it is related to educational activities so attention need paid overcome the problems that occur mainly as a result of runoff. Sustainable drainage system application that prioritizes water quality and runoff water quantity management is very important to overcome the problems runoff and innudation. The result study is find a solution to runoff and iinudation. Analysis method useing Hec-Ras application for calculation discharge and channel dimensions using Sustainable Urban Drainage method which is popularly applied in various countries for water quality and runoff quantity management. The researched result are to obtain the maximum rainfall discharge value and runoff design, drainage channel dimensions, and the appropriate sustainable drainage system in SMA 4 area of Jayapura City[1].

A Systematic Review on Advancements in Remote Sensing for Assessing and Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Changes Impacts on Surface Water Resources in Semi-Arid Tropical Environments

This study aimed to provide a systematic overview of the progress made in utilizing remote sensing for assessing the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on water resources (quality and quantity). This review also addresses research gaps, challenges, and opportunities associated with the use of remotely sensed data in assessment and monitoring. The progress of remote sensing applications in the assessment and monitoring of LULC, along with their impacts on water quality and quantity, has advanced significantly. The availability of high-resolution satellite imagery, the integration of multiple sensors, and advanced classification techniques have improved the accuracy of land cover mapping and change detection. Furthermore, the study highlights the vast potential for providing detailed information on the monitoring and assessment of the relationship between LULC and water resources through advancements in data science analytics, drones, web-based platforms, and balloons. It emphasizes the importance of promoting research efforts, and the integration of remote sensing data with spatial patterns, ecosystem services, and hydrological models enables a more comprehensive evaluation of water quantity and quality changes. Continued advancements in remote sensing technology and methodologies will further improve our ability to assess and monitor the impacts of LULC changes on water quality and quantity, ultimately leading to more informed decision making and effective water resource management. Such research endeavors are crucial for achieving the effective and sustainable management of water quality and quantity.

Mapping global non-floodplain wetlands.

Non-floodplain wetlands - those located outside the floodplains - have emerged as integral components to watershed resilience, contributing hydrologic and biogeochemical functions affecting watershed-scale flooding extent, drought magnitude, and water-quality maintenance. However, the absence of a global dataset of non-floodplain wetlands limits their necessary incorporation into water quality and quantity management decisions and affects wetland-focused wildlife habitat conservation outcomes. We addressed this critical need by developing a publicly available "Global NFW" (Non-Floodplain Wetland) dataset, comprised of a global river-floodplain map at 90 m resolution coupled with a global ensemble wetland map incorporating multiple wetland-focused data layers. The floodplain, wetland, and non-floodplain wetland spatial data developed here were successfully validated within 21 large and heterogenous basins across the conterminous United States. We identified nearly 33 million potential non-floodplain wetlands with an estimated global extent of over 16×106 km2. Non-floodplain wetland pixels comprised 53% of globally identified wetland pixels, meaning the majority of the globe's wetlands likely occur external to river floodplains and coastal habitats. The identified global NFWs were typically small (median 0.039 km2), with a global median size ranging from 0.018-0.138 km2. This novel geospatial Global NFW static dataset advances wetland conservation and resource-management goals while providing a foundation for global non-floodplain wetland functional assessments, facilitating non-floodplain wetland inclusion in hydrological, biogeochemical, and biological model development. The data are freely available through the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Dataset Gateway (https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Global_NonFloodplain_Wetlands/, last access: 24 May 2023) and through https://doi.org/10.23719/1528331 (Lane et al., 2023a).

Integrated river water quality and quantity management based on undesirability and cost‐effectiveness

AbstractIntegrated water resources management aims to simultaneously solve water shortage and contamination problems by considering economic, social, and environmental criteria. To that view, this study has developed a two‐objective optimization model regarding water allocation (WA) and wasteload allocation (WLA) in the Zayandehrood river basin, the central part of Iran. The model aimed to supply the users' water demand considering the downstream environmental flow to fulfill the social‐environmental requirements. Besides, satisfying the river water quality standards was regarded as the environmental‐economic criteria. The WA objective function minimizes the undesirability caused by reduced allocated water and downstream environmental flow. The QUAL2K model was used to simulate the wasteload discharge impacts on the river water quality. The water quality parameters included biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), TP, and TN for the urban and industrial wasteload and nitrate for the agricultural drainage. The results showed that a joint WA ‐ WLA optimization reduced the total average WA by 15% and increased the downstream flow by three times the base level. Also, the water quality violations of the standard limits were reduced by 18, 4, and 15 times for BOD, NO3, and TP, respectively.

Evaluation of Priority Control District Metered Area for Water Distribution Networks Using Water Quality-Related Big Data

Partitioning methodologies such as district metered areas (DMAs) are being applied to the stable maintenance of water distribution network systems in normal conditions such as daily operation and abnormal conditions such as water quality and leakage accidents. However, management and evaluation through the use of existing DMAs generally only have the primary goal of stable water quantity and pressure management. Therefore, the methodology can be limited to achieving the direct effects of water quality parameters such as decreased water age, proper management of residual chlorine, and decreased water quality complaints. This study uses a methodology for determining and prioritizing water quality-oriented Priority Control District Metered Areas (PCDMAs) for stable water quality management to respond to the recent large-scale rusty (red) water crisis in Korea. First, 4 evaluation criteria and 11 evaluation indicators were derived using various water quality-related structured data (water quality measurement data, pipeline data, etc.) and unstructured data (water quality complaints, etc.) based on the Geographic Information System (GIS). A comprehensive prioritization assessment was carried out with multi-criteria decision-making methods based on the analytic hierarchy process. As a result, particular indicators of complaint of water quality and the existence of vulnerable facilities (hospitals, school, etc.) were analyzed as the top five priorities, and it was shown that to be important criteria in determining water quality-oriented PCMDAs. Finally, the proposed methodology was applied to the B metropolitan city of the Republic of Korea, and the evaluation results of all the districts were derived and analyzed. The study shows that the data-based water distribution network PCDMAs selection methodology can be used as a decision-making tool to improve the accuracy and reliability of the operation and management (O&M) of the water distribution operator’s water distribution network. In future research, it will be necessary to evaluate PDDMA with detailed data related to the pipe deterioration (buried environment, the condition of internal/external of the pipe, etc.), which had a significant threshold due to data limitations. And it would be possible to make a real-time evaluation of PCDMA with the real-time water quality test data.

Using Machine Learning Models for Predicting the Water Quality Index in the La Buong River, Vietnam

For effective management of water quantity and quality, it is absolutely essential to estimate the pollution level of the existing surface water. This case study aims to evaluate the performance of twelve machine learning (ML) models, including five boosting-based algorithms (adaptive boosting, gradient boosting, histogram-based gradient boosting, light gradient boosting, and extreme gradient boosting), three decision tree-based algorithms (decision tree, extra trees, and random forest), and four ANN-based algorithms (multilayer perceptron, radial basis function, deep feed-forward neural network, and convolutional neural network), in estimating the surface water quality of the La Buong River in Vietnam. Water quality data at four monitoring stations alongside the La Buong River for the period 2010–2017 were utilized to calculate the water quality index (WQI). Prediction performance of the ML models was evaluated by using two efficiency statistics (i.e., R2 and RMSE). The results indicated that all twelve ML models have good performance in predicting the WQI but that extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) has the best performance with the highest accuracy (R2 = 0.989 and RMSE = 0.107). The findings strengthen the argument that ML models, especially XGBoost, may be employed for WQI prediction with a high level of accuracy, which will further improve water quality management.

Modification and Validation of Ritchie Model for Evaporation of Maize Field in Saline Alkali Soil

In order to study the evaporation law of the soil between the corn trees of Daqing salt-alkali soil, the evaporation simulation value of different growth stages in the experimental period was compared with the measured value according to the Ritchie model theory, and the model fit was not well matched by using a homemade microsteaming seepage instrument to study the evaporation of the whole fertility period of corn in the green wind garden test area of Daqing High-tech Zone, as well as rainfall and soil moisture content. The accuracy of the two parameters in Ritchie’s model directly determines the accuracy of the model’s prediction of evaporation. The first U value and the second-stage α values were revised, respectively, and the model verification was based on the different growth-and-long-term values of corn, and the analysis showed that the average monthly rainfall was a function relationship with the average monthly evaporation. The modified Ritchie model has a maximum evaporation fit of 0.96 for maturity and a minimum fit of 0.91 for seedling. It provides an accurate evaporation prediction model for the accurate prediction of evaporation between saline soil corn classes in Daqing area and provides a theoretical basis for water quantity management and soil salinization prevention and control in the corn planting process.

Widespread and increased drilling of wells into fossil aquifers in the USA

Most stored groundwater is ‘fossil’ in its age, having been under the ground for more than ~12 thousand years. Mapping where wells tap fossil aquifers is relevant for water quality and quantity management. Nevertheless, the prevalence of wells that tap fossil aquifers is not known. Here we show that wells that are sufficiently deep to tap fossil aquifers are widespread, though they remain outnumbered by shallower wells in most areas. Moreover, the proportion of newly drilled wells that are deep enough to tap fossil aquifers has increased over recent decades. However, this widespread and increased drilling of wells into fossil aquifers is not necessarily associated with groundwater depletion, emphasizing that the presence of fossil groundwater does not necessarily indicate a non-renewable water supply. Our results highlight the importance of safeguarding fossil groundwater quality and quantity to meet present and future water demands.

Evaluation of Pollutant Removal Efficiency by Small-Scale Nature-Based Solutions Focusing on Bio-Retention Cells, Vegetative Swale and Porous Pavement

Rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure, and changes in rainfall patterns linked to climate change have brought considerable challenges to water managers around the world. Impacts from such drivers are likely to increase even further unless the appropriate actions are put in place. Floods, landslides, droughts and water pollution are just a few examples of such impacts and their corresponding consequences are in many cases devastating. At the same time, it has become a well-accepted fact that traditional (i.e., grey infrastructure) measures are no longer effective in responding to such challenges. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have emerged as a new response towards hydro-meteorological risk reduction and the results obtained to date are encouraging. However, their application has been mainly in the area of water quantity management with few studies that report on their efficiency to deal with water quality aspects. These solutions are based on replicating natural phenomena and processes to solve such problems. The present paper addresses the question of three NBS systems, namely, bio-retention cells, vegetative swales and porous pavements, for the removal of total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) when applied in different configurations (single or networked). The results presented in this paper aim to advance the understanding of their performances during varying rainfall patterns and configurations and their potential application conditions.

Do Social Networks Affect Irrigation Behaviors? A Case Study of Water Theft in Rural Xinjiang, China

Water theft (WT) jeopardizes equitable water-use rights and potentially threatens the effectiveness and sustainability of irrigation water management. This paper examines whether irrigation-member network size, kinship network size and connections with linking networks affect WT probability and frequency in the local reality characterized by strict water quantity management and weak formal sanctions but conditionally strong informal sanctions. Our empirical analysis applies a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model and survey data involving 739 households in Awati County, Xinjiang, China. We find that the increasing irrigation member network size decreases WT probability but increases WT frequency, the increasing kinship network size increases WT probability but insignificantly affects WT frequency, and the connection with linking networks insignificantly affects WT probability but increases WT frequency. Consequently, these social network variables contribute little to the local execution of irrigation water management. Our findings’ policy implications and academic contributions are discussed in detail.

Evaluation of Water Social Service and Comprehensive Water Management Linked with Integrated River Evaluation

Various factors like climate change and population increase have limited water management evaluation. In South Korea particularly, although the management of water quality and water quantity has recently been integrated, a comprehensive policy has not yet been identified. This study, therefore, aims to propose a methodology for evaluating water social service for 18 basins near major water resources in South Korea. It aims to promote advanced water resource management, secure water equity, and improve inadequate policy implementation. In addition, it proposes a methodology for comprehensive water management evaluation linked with integrated river evaluation with respect to water quality and water quantity. Accordingly, contrary to the common assumption that the entire population has easy access to the supplied water, the status of water service was assessed objectively. The status of water management per sector was also visually represented, through which the vulnerabilities of water management could be intuitively diagnosed. Based on the possibility of utilizing the study results to determine the basic direction for water management, the methodology of this study has been proposed as a tool for establishing an efficient water management policy.

Drinking water quality assessment in distribution networks: A water footprint approach

Reliable water quality monitoring and assessment can help to minimize the risk of water quality failures (WQFs) in water distribution networks (WDNs). Indexing-based water quality assessment approaches classify water quality based on contaminant concentrations. However, the resultant indices do not provide any information on trade-offs between water quality and quantity. The need to preserve the earth's natural resources has drawn attention to the use of footprint approaches to assess water quality. This paper uses a water footprint concept to develop a grey water footprint (GWF)-based framework for water quality assessment. A probabilistic human health risk assessment (HHRA) is also incorporated in the GWF approach to address the uncertainties. The proposed framework was implemented by considering the disinfection by-products (DBPs) in WDNs as a case study, and the results were compared with those generated using the Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) approach. Six drinking water quality management strategies (DWQMSs) were evaluated. The results from both approaches were correlated, indicating GWF as an alternative to CWQI. The assessment results showed that DWQMSs having groundwater as a source deliver better water quality in terms of DBPs occurrence compared to those using a surface water source. The GWF approach helps categorize water quality by estimating the theoretical volume of fresh water required to dilute the contaminant concentrations to below threshold levels. Water stakeholders can apply this framework considering any contaminants to drinking water quality using a quantitative water footprint scale and develop a trade-off between water quality and quantity management.

A raw water security risk model for urban supply based on failure mode analysis

The provision of raw water to urban supply systems is a global endeavor, and a great challenge to water resource managers of large metropolitan regions. A sustainable supply requires the integrated management of water quantity and quality, as well as the system’s adaption to land use and climate changes (e.g., deforestation, droughts). The available water security models inform about the current security status of a system based on the assessment of quantity, quality and adaption indicators. But they barely include risk variables in the analysis, which could help to improve the security assessment considering the historical records of indicators or their future projections. In the present study, a new method is developed that couples a security assessment based on the rating of pressure indicators acting on a watershed, such as water demand, ordinary and accidental contaminants, droughts, and environmental settings (e.g., share of forest cover), with a risk assessment based on pressure properties such as severity, occurrence and detectability. The method is framed in the “Failure Mode and Effects Analysis”, and was applied to the Rio das Velhas system that supplies a portion of Belo Horizonte metropolitan region (Minas Gerais, Brazil) with >4 million inhabitants. The results exposed unacceptable risks for water demand, ordinary contaminants and droughts, because of their high severity and frequency. The water demand risks were explained by data on current (2019) water scarcity and population growth projections (until 2036) that are likely to raise water consumption. The ordinary contaminant risks were deduced from information on current deviations of water quality parameters (e.g., dissolved oxygen, turbidity) from legal thresholds, and records (since 2007) of stream water contamination by untreated domestic effluents. Finally, the drought risks were explained by information on the persistence of stream flows below a legal reference flow, coupled with the identification of many (23) dry years in the available stream flow record (48 years). Overall, the proposed model was efficient in the evaluation of water security risk in the basin. The results obtained for the study area help to act on the required mitigation through prioritization of risk attenuation. Given the simplicity and modest data requirements, the method is helpful to decision makers and suited for replication in other similar regions around the globe.

Water Quantity Management in a Heterogeneous Landscape with Farsighted Farmers

Agricultural production contributes to many environmental problems. In semi-arid areas, agricultural irrigation causes the so-called waterlogging phenomenon. This phenomenon is both spatial and dynamic since percolation depends on soil quality summed up in landscape heterogeneity and evolves along time. Furthermore, farmers can be farsighted with respect to their contribution to percolation. We study regulation schemes to be implemented to restore the socially optimal spatial and temporal production plan of farmers in such a context. We show that both a temporal tax on percolation and a spatio-temporal tax on inputs (both at the extensive and at the intensive margin) are efficient for the restoration of the socially optimal solution. Furthermore, a numerical example demonstrates that the consequences of implementing a fiscal scheme designed for myopic farmers whereas they are farsighted depends on the distribution of soil quality.

Event-Driven Hyporheic Exchange during Single and Seasonal Rainfall in a Gaining Stream

This study combined a reach-scale field survey and numerical modelling analysis to reveal the pattern of transient hyporheic exchange driven by rainfall events in the Zhongtian River, Southeast China. Field observations revealed hydrodynamic properties and flux variations in surface water (SW)/ groundwater (GW), suggesting that the regional groundwater recharged the study reach. A two-step numerical modelling procedure, including a hydraulic surface flow model and a groundwater flow model, was then used to interpret the transient hyporheic flow system. The hyporheic exchange exhibited strong temporal evolution in the study reach, as indicated by the rainfall event-driven hyporheic exchange. The reversal of the hydraulic gradient and transient hyporheic exchange were simulated using numerical simulation. Anisotropic hydraulic conductivity is the key to generating transient hyporheic exchange. A revised conceptual model was used to interpret the observed temporal patterns in hyporheic exchange. The seasonal rainfall events generate transient hyporheic exchange, and the pattern of transient hyporheic exchange indicates that transient hyporheic exchange appears only after an increased phase of the river stage but does not last long. The temporal pattern of hyporheic exchange can significantly affect the hydrodynamic exchange and the evolution of hydrology in the hyporheic zone for a gaining stream, and these results have important guiding significance for the comprehensive management of surface water and groundwater quantity and quality.

Study on the Application of Rainwater Management Technology in the Space of Suzhou

Chinese sponge city construction is in full swing. The research of regional sponge city technology is not only important but also urgent. This paper takes Suzhou as The main research object. And through the analysis of the specific natural environment and water quality characteristics of runoff in Suzhou, Proposes that “interception” and “purification” should be the primary goals of rainwater management in Suzhou. On this basis, it puts forward that “water quality management is the main and water quantity management is the auxiliary. The management strategy of displaying the characteristics of the city and the landscape of technical facilities. “According to The comprehensive comparative analysis of objective, the conditions, pa., Artistry and ecology of the application of general technology in the United States and China, each technology is classified into three types: It use, Optional use and not it use. It is hoped to solve the confusion of the applicability of sponge technology and the harmony between engineering technology and urban art temperament in a Natural, ecological and landscape aesthetic way.

The Economics of the Joint Management of Water Resources and Aquatic Species in the United States

AbstractThe health of many marine, coastal, freshwater, and other aquatic ecosystems is inextricably linked to decisions about the management of water quality and quantity. In this article we revie...